. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . ate, are ex-tremely shy. They are found in Van Dieman-s Land,New South Wales, and on the western coast of New Hol-land ; and are generally seen swimming on a lake, in flocksconsisting of eight or nine individuals. On being disturb-ed, they fly off in a direct line one after the other, like wildgeese. THE EIDER DUCK Has a black cylindrical bill, and the feathers of the fore-head and cheeks advance far into the base. In the male, TH
. A Book of ornithology, for youth. Embracing descriptions of the most interesting and remarkable birds in all countries, with particular notices of American birds . ate, are ex-tremely shy. They are found in Van Dieman-s Land,New South Wales, and on the western coast of New Hol-land ; and are generally seen swimming on a lake, in flocksconsisting of eight or nine individuals. On being disturb-ed, they fly off in a direct line one after the other, like wildgeese. THE EIDER DUCK Has a black cylindrical bill, and the feathers of the fore-head and cheeks advance far into the base. In the male, THE EIDER DUCK. 277 the feathers of part of the head, the lower part of thebreast, the belly, and the tail are black, as are also thequill feathers of the wings; and nearly all the rest of thebody is white. The legs are green. The female is of areddish brown, variously marked with black and duskystreaks. It is principally found in the western isles ofScotland, on the coasts of Norway, Iceland, and Green-land, and in many parts of North America. On theAmerican shores it is said to breed as far south as Port-land in Maine. The female lays from three to five eggs,. (sometimes as many as eight,) which are large, smooth,glossy, and of a pale olive colour. She generally laysamong stones, or plants, near the sea, but in a soft bed ofdown, which she plucks from her own breast. Sometimestwo females will lay their eggs in the same nest, in whichcase they always agree remarkably well. As long as thefemale is sitting, the male continues on watch near the25 2/8 THE EIDER DUCK. shore >; but as soon as the young are hatched, he leavesthem. The mother, however, remains with them a con-siderable time afterwards. It is curious to observe hermanner of leading them out of the nest, almost as soonas they creep from the eggs. Going before them to theshore, they trip after her; and, when she comes to thewaterside, she takes them on her back, and swims a fewyards with them, when she dives ; and the y
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookidbookoforni, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1832
